Sunday Toughie No 143 by
Robyn
Review by Sloop John Bee
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This puzzle was published on the 20th of October 2024
Across
1a Harsh dismissal of personnel after strong drinks when tense (5,6)
SHORT SHRIFT: A bit of Lego™ to start. An abbreviation of the personnel dept HR, goes after another word for strong drinks SHORTS, followed by a conditional for when IF, and an abbreviation of tense T – SHORT S(HR)IF(T)
10a Surprisingly regular excerpts from sordid plays (5)
ODDLY: Regular letters of sOrDiD pLaYs
11a Banking million in business, notice where waste goes (9)
COMPOSTER: Abbreviations of business CO, and millions M, go before a notice or promotional leaflet POSTER
12a Truthful and dishonest, maybe getting married again (2-7)
RE-ALLYING: Synonyms of truthful REAL, and dishonest LYING, when hyphenated, is another way of saying marrying again
13a Taking off silver-plated jewellery item (5)
APING: A jewellery item like a brooch PIN, is plated with the chemical symbol for silver AG
14a Awfully sore boxing American combatant in bouts (6)
ORGIES: Somewhat salacious bouts can be found in an anagram of SORE that contains (boxes) an abbreviation of an American soldier or GI
16a Workers using iron, carbon and different elements (8)
STEELMEN: It could be a simple anagram (different) of ELEMENTS, but I am going to call it an &lit as the alloy produced by these workers is made from Iron, Carbon and other elements such as Chromium and Vanadium
18a Drivers installing energy-saving fan in plant (4,4)
ALOE VERA: A fan or LOVER, contains an abbreviation of energy E, and is installed in a drivers “club” the AA
20a Son writing entertaining article with terms from Robert Burns (6)
SMARTS: An archaic usage of terms would be limits or boundaries, The indefinite article A, and the boundaries of Robert RT, go into some abbreviated writing MS. They follow the abbreviation of son S. S(M(A-RT)S) or burns
23a Games help to get ready for a trip to Mexico (5)
PESOS: Games played at school PE, and a radio call for help S.O.S. are needed to get some “readies” to spend in Mexico PESOS
24a Modelled best clothing line, showing heavenly body? (9)
SATELLITE: Modelled for an artist SAT, and the very best ELITE, that contains the letter that looks like a line L. A heavenly body or SAT(EL(L)ITE)
26a Make up sentence once (2,3,4)
AT ONE TIME: To make up for sins ATONE, and the length of a prison sentence TIME, when split (2,3,4) to fit the definition of once
27a The Dandy is also less ace (5)
SWELL: A two-word phrase for also AS WELL, loses an A for Ace
28a Sweet food, out to lunch? Student tucked into mine (6,5)
BANANA SPLIT: A mine or PIT, contains the letter that student drivers must display L, it follows an informal word for mad or “out to lunch” BANANA S P(L)IT
Down
2d Novelist, upset after opening letter, is a monster (5)
HYDRA: Take a novelist Thomas HARDY, and reverse all but the opening letter and a many-headed monster is revealed H-YDRA
3d Argument finally accepted by US university for special pronoun (5,2)
ROYAL WE: An argument or tiff ROW, the last letter of which is accepted into a US university YALE – “One” are not amused™ VR
4d Staff taking time off? In other words, a day off (6)
SICKIE: A “staff” that many dogs love to fetch STICK, loses t for time and adds a Latin abbreviation for in other words I.E.A day off or S(t)ICK(IE)
5d Seaside town‘s scandal involving horny males? (8)
RAMSGATE: A suffix attached to scandals since Richard “Tricky Dicky” Nixon’s WaterGATE, days follows some horned male ovines RAMS
6d Measurement of length of time before Kinnock era? (7)
FOOTAGE: I am going to call this a double definition, the era of the Labour leader before Neil Kinnock Michael FOOT AGE, becomes the measurement of the length of a piece of film FOOTAGE
7d Where you may find hearing rap out of place, unfortunately (5,2,6)
COURT OF APPEAL: An anagram (unfortunately) of RAP OUT OF PLACE
8d Cutter‘s shipshape entering southern sea abroad (8)
STRIMMER: An abbreviation of southern S and how those from abroad (particularly the French) refer to a sea MER, contain a synonym of shipshape or tidy TRIM a S(TRIM)MER for cutting in the garden
9d Fearsome person is inclined to bag contents of best stall (4,4,5)
DRAG ONES HEELS: A fearsome person likened to a fire-breathing monster DRAGON, and is inclined or leans HEELS, contained in the contents of best ES. To stall or DRAG ONES HEELS
15d I commend you who supply merchandise at first (4,4)
GOOD SHOW: I had a couple of choices to fit into this one but I am fairly sure that supply is an anagram indicator. A “supple” rendition of WHO follows the merchandise or GOODS
17d Shakespeare character‘s funny asides, following king (8)
CRESSIDA: The King’s regnal cipher CR, followed by an anagram (funny) of ASIDES
19d Permit hugging right behind church organs (7)
VISCERA: A permit to travel VISA, contains R for right and an abbreviation of the Church of England CE
21d Feeble sort of fabric cleaner, according to Spooner (7)
MILKSOP: A fabric produced by a moth eating mulberry leaves SILK, and the cleaner used on floors MOP, treated by Spooner to be a feeble unadventurous person a MILKSOP
22d How Aaron starts becoming an embodiment of wisdom (6)
ATHENA: The Greek embodiment of wisdom, how someone may tell you how to spell the first two letters of Aaron, A then A
25d Doubly nice, hosting ancient tribe (5)
ICENI: A clever sort of lurker that is not immediately apparent, the ancient tribe is not seen until you double NICE. NICE clue Robyn!
That’s All Folks…